• ISBN13: 9780345397263

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In Why Do Catholics Do That? renowned scholar and religion columnist Kevin Orlin Johnson answers the most frequently asked questions on Catholic faith, worship, culture, and customs, including:
* How the Church Makes Laws * The Hard-Fought Genesis of the New Testament * The Cycle of Redemption * A Short Guide to the Meaning and Structure of the Mass * Decoding Symbols of Scripture and the Sacraments * The Calendar as the Image of Christ's Life * The Rosary * The Stations of the Cross * Monks, Nuns, and the Rules That Guide Them * The Pope * The Laity in the Modern World * Saints * Fatima, Lourdes, and the Story of Apparitions * The Vatican: A Holy City * The Sign of the Cross, Christianity's Best-Known Symbol * Candles in Prayer and Liturgy * The Meaning of the Nativity Scene

Blending religious history, a deep appreciation for art and culture, and an enlightened reverence for the traditions of the Church, Why Do Catholics Do That? is the definitive resource for any one who wants to learn more about the rituals, symbols, and traditions that can strengthen our faith every day.

"Johnson offers lucid explanations of a dizzying array of customs and beliefs."
--Publishers Weekly

I can honestly say that this book was the decision maker for me. It is written in a way that isn't too "bookish" or intellectual for the casual reader, yet has a good amount of information in it. The writing style used, which has a lot of humor in it, lessened the blows of what some consider "cocky Catholicism." Another reviewer felt that in her original review this book came across as too cocky. I understand what she is talking about. I've met quite a few people with that cocky attitude. That attitude was one of the major things that turned me off from the Church originally. This book to me, however, wasn't too cocky. I enjoyed it. It gave the reader information in a straight manner. I also found nothing anti-Semitic about this book, as another reviewer mentions.

With this book, I learned that a number of the things that I was taught as a child about the Catholic Church was mere propaganda or, in most cases, misinformation. A lot of what I thought I knew about the Church was actually a misunderstanding of practices and beliefs.

I believe this book, with its simplicity, could easily challenge some of the harder hitting Protestant theories about the Catholic faith. Although it doesn't really go into any major theological arguments, it openly explains why Catholics do the things they do. It's hard to argue with someone when they are straightforward and honest with their beliefs. Perhaps that's what we need a little more of in the world today.

66 of 67 found the following review helpful:


My Favorite Catholic Background Book  Feb 14, 2005 By Glutton for books
This is my favorite "Why do Catholics" book, and I have read quite a few, as I was raised Catholic and had to learn to defend my beliefs when my parents moved to the Bible belt in my late teens. If I had known about this book then, my life would have been much easier.

Dr. Johnson's book is much more entertaining and thorough than work of a similar nature, such as Karl Keating's better known books. Dr. Johnson converses with the reader, which makes the writing style engaging and memorable; he does not say use the dry approach of "some people think this," but rather uses and approach of "We Catholics believe." He does not discuss beliefs of other religions, except when comparing the different approach used for compilations of scriptures. This makes me more comfortable in recommending to books to other Christians, unlike Keating's work, in which the terms used sometimes appeal slanderous to people from denominations such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.

This is a book of Catholic practices and religious beliefs and explores illustrates from where they came. It does not address moral theology, but is more concerned with issues such as "why does the Old Testament comprise these books," "why is there a Pope," "what is the official stances on alleged apparitions," "what is the roles of saints," ect. But is also has fun tid bits of information that many Catholic information guides fail to address, like the use of incense, the dress of clergy, and terms used for the religious. It also explains popular devotions and their history; such as The Way of the Cross and the rosary.

Amazon recommended it to me for some time. I wish I bought it sooner, but I thought that it looked too basic to be a wise investment for me. Then some one gave me a gift certificate for Christmas and this book was at the store; I flipped though it and found so much entertaining trivia, that I purchased it on the spot- wishing I had listened to Amazon sooner.

I have since given them as gifts to people who wanted to learn more about Catholicism, and contrary to a few opinions expressed form other reviews here, they did not find the book offensive, but appreciated it. I highly recommend it. The broad range of information it contains makes it an ideal reference for the uninitiated and curious, as well as for the person who has had much experience and education in Catholicism seeking to fill in any gaps of knowledge.

51 of 53 found the following review helpful:


Reversion  Aug 07, 2001 By Robert Ray
I was raised Catholic, and like so many of my generation, I grew up with a very weak foundation in the faith. Although I was raised Catholic and attended CCD throughout my formative years, in time I left the Church and began attending fundamentalist churches. This book was instrumental to my coming back to the Church after fourteen years away, as it was the first time that I actually read anything indepth on what we as Catholics believe and why. I did not buy the book, but rather it was loaned to me by my Mother, but God used this book to bring me back home. I highly recommend it! Although at the time I first read it, some of it was difficult to read, and some of it I did not agree with at all, it planted the seeds of desire to understand the Catholic faith which lead to the desire to return to the Catholic Church. My wife, who was Baptist, also read it and in time became a Catholic. We are both very active in our parish, and it is good to be home! Is it biased; it is a presentation of Catholic beliefs which does not seek to comprimise those beliefs. I don't know that I would call that biased. As to addressing the issues that are often brought up in arguements against the faith, I don't believe that the intent of the book is to answer protestant charges against the faith, but rather simply to present the faith, and in the latter intent, it more than succeeds. There are other books which intend to address the charges against the faith made by protestants and others, and which do a great job, but again, I do not believe that is the intent of this book. It is the Holy Spirit which touches hearts, and indeed this book can be used by the Spirit to touch hearts. I highly recommend this book to Catholics who desire to have a deeper understanding of their faith, and to Catholics who have left the Church, for they might see that the reasons they left were based on misunderstanding, and there are some truly great reasons to come back.

53 of 58 found the following review helpful:


Highly recommended  Feb 03, 2000 By L Orie
Yes, I'm Catholic -- always have been. I bought this book while taking a bible study course on the Acts of the Apostles. I wanted to know more about the beginning of the Church. It's been over a year since I read it -- I found it profoundly enlightening, and continue to learn from it. I've read many of the reviews here, and am surprised at the negative accounts. The author has a definite writing style -- he's actually VERY funny -- but I think he is being taken by many to be haughty. Instead, I find him to be a true believer -- he is very secure in his Catholicism -- that's why he wrote the book!

Kevin Orlin Johnson has taken VOLUMES of material and gleaned powerful information to show us what makes Catholicism unique. I couldn't help but read much of it out loud to my family, as it was so exciting to examine the history from which our practices developed. I found it humbling and inspiring at the same time. It's one of the best books I've ever read! Even more important, I believe it will move the reader to want to learn more about his/her own faith through Scripture and other publications, whether Catholic or not. It surely motivated me!

69 of 77 found the following review helpful:


A challenging read.  Jul 16, 2000 By S. L. Duncan
After growing up with a Catholic extended family and many, many Catholic friends, I bought this book to help me relate to them. On one hand, I found this to be extremely informative for Catholics, since many of the issues I brought up to my friends while reading it were new to them. It allowed me to see into the true Catholic believer's mindset, and for that, it is valuable. The writer is quite amusing in his word choice and titling of chapters, which can be a little disarming for what else he has to say. This presents the other hand--as a Protestant considering possible conversion, I was completely put off by many of his asides regarding non-Catholic Christian faith. However, I grew to understand that, when it all boils down, he is simply echoing the Church's belief that there is only one true church. Not exactly warm and fuzzy, but a true representation, nonetheless.

This book won't answer all your questions about the Catholic church, especially if you are easily offended; however, it does introduce many general ideas that non-Catholics and Catholics alike may wonder about, like the significance of mass, the rosary, the saints, the pope, and relics.

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